TEXAS FAITH: How do changing demographics shape the pew, pulpit and theology schools?

Just ask those of us in the newspaper world, where we wonder if enough young people will turn to papers or some other version of what we produce.

Politicians think about demographics when it comes to projecting who will be around to vote for them and their party in a decade. That’s why Democrats and Republicans alike have their eyes on the growing Latino vote.

Policy experts think demographics when it comes to projecting the needs of a state like Texas. One thing we know is our state is becoming poorer, older and more Hispanic, and those changing demographics suggest a set of policies.

What about religion? How do demographics shape the thinking of you who are in the pulpit, theology schools or the pew?

Churches like my own, a Presbyterian Church (USA) church, certainly wrestle with declining or stagnant numbers. I’m interested in hearing how each of you, from various traditions, deal with demographic changes, whether that’s in terms of message, outreach or planning.

BOB DEAN, Executive Director, Dallas Baptist Association
As a partnership of approximately 500 churches in the greater Dallas area, demographics are one of the major factors that shape the ministry of our churches. We study carefully the changing demographics to assist our churches in making appropriate changes to their ministry and to initiate new efforts to reach different people groups and segments of the population.

Dallas is not the buckle of the Bible belt as some have claimed. It is a mission field that is growing in size and diversity. We are a city of minorities. The Hispanic population is now larger than the Anglo population. We have identified over 165 different language groups living in the greater Dallas area. Currently, 1 in 5 of our population was born in a foreign country.

Changing demographics may cause politicians to see a potential decline in their voter share. However, from a ministry perspective, we never view changing demographics as a potential decline in ministry opportunities. In fact, changes in the demographics of our population can mean new and increased opportunities to minister to and to reach people for Christ.

DARRELL BOCK, Research Professor of New Testament Studies, Dallas Theological Seminary
This one is easy. One has to think of the future. Young folks and young families are key. Messages need to challenge, seeking the best from people. It needs to be relevant, pointing to solid community. Music needs to be alive. Rooted in Scripture is best of all, but in a way that is interesting, showing the key values God desires out of his creatures and rooted in the example and teaching of Jesus. Comparing and contrasting to values in the culture is also important. Showing the value of a cross-generational community is also important.

BRIAN SCHMISEK, Dean, School of Ministry, University of Dallas
By 2050 half of all U.S.Catholics will be Hispanic. If they choose to remain Catholic, the church in the United States may have different priorities than it seems to have today.

Though Catholics are the largest religious denomination in the U.S., there is also a high percentage of former Catholics. In fact, some studies indicate that former Catholics are the second largest denomination in the U.S., behind practicing Catholics.

Though the Catholic church is growing, it is primarily because of immigration rather than conversion. For every one person who becomes Catholic, four leave the church. Without immigration, the Catholic church in the U.S. would be losing membership.

These changing demographics mean that the church in Texas is especially poised to set the stage for how the U.S. church responds in this century. In Texas today about half of Catholics are Hispanic. We are not waiting for 2050 to experience that reality.

We have bi-lingual liturgies and parishes. We discuss the role of immigration, even if we have not yet settled on a solution. Catholic universities in Texas are offering programs to attract a largely Spanish speaking and bilingual audience. We continue to offer more social services to an under-served population.

One author claims that in the U.S. we are returning to a Catholic church of the 19th century: largely blue-collar, ethnic, speaking its own language, peering in on the elite, dominant culture. This same author claims that what Boston and New York were to the Catholic church in the 19th century, Dallas, San Antonio, and other cities in Texas will be to the Catholic church in the 21st century. In other words, what we experience as Catholics in Texas will be normative for U.S. Catholics in a few short decades.

DANIEL KANTER, Senior minister, First Unitarian Church of Dallas
Our approach has been a combination of message, outreach and planning.

I have seen my church become more multi-racial, multi-ethnic, diverse in sexual identities, and more gender balanced in the last eight years. This is partly because we do not promote uniformity or foster bias consciously in our planning. We have worked hard to create a space that will respond to any fluctuations in demographics and more importantly to the spiritual needs of all people.

Part of our mission is not only to be more diverse but to deepen our understanding of difference, oppression, and privilege. This message comes from deep within our theological tradition that sees all people, without exception, as worthy.

It also encourages a radical acceptance based in love and historically in universal salvation. Our intention to deepen rather than avoid the tough conversations makes this effort real. Making this clear in all out outreach efforts seems to have had the desired result.

Yet this will not be the only answer. We are paying attention to the demographics not only of our region but of the nation. We know we will have to become more explicit about our wide embrace as our country changes.

WILLIAM LAWRENCE, Dean and Professor of American Church History, Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University
One of the contributions that “independent” and “emerging” churches have given to ecclesiastical discussions is to make theological educators and judicatory leaders more self-conscious about the importance of market conditions for religious institutions.

Even those of us who knew the biblical background of early Christian demographics — the disciples who were uneducated fishermen, the church members whom Paul described as not being from the upper classes, and the people of Crete who were supposed to be evangelized by Titus even though they were liars and gluttons and idlers — seemed to think that all we had to do was announce the gospel and the people would respond.

Now we know better. We have to be market wise, in such basic decisions as the time that we schedule church activities, the types of music that we use in worship, the increased use of visual material in a video-driven age, the length of sermons (and whether they should even be called “sermons”) for people with different attention spans. We have to reach multiple generations of people, or we will become the victims of our own aging process. We have learned that churches must be wise about marketing their ministries.

But there is a difference between being “market-wise” and “market-driven.” Part of what theological educators have to do is challenge the churches not to become imprisoned by a marketing culture. Otherwise, we will only plant new ministries in communities with middle class and upper middle class constituencies, where people can afford nice buildings and professionally trained ministers. We will overlook the poor who cannot help pay the bills of the ecclesiastical order. We will ignore the aging in favor of the young and middle aged with disposable income. We may even perpetuate the re-segregation of the church into ethnic and racial isolation.

In short, if we let demographics determine the form of the gospel then we might forsake the power of the gospel for the success of the market.

AMY MARTIN, Executive Director, Earth Rhythms; Writer/Editor, Moonlady Media
America is becoming more urbanized, which is both a boon and a bust for Earth-centered faiths. For some, the urbanization is a disconnect from the Earth, making nature more something to be feared than treasured. For others, nature is the essential balance to the trend and many of Earth-centered spirituality are ardent techies and cyber folks, including myself.

The approach that works for urban Earth-centered faiths is to bring the focus in. Rather than relate the spiritual metaphors of the river and mountain, we find analogies in the weed that emerges from a crack in the sidewalk, or the beauty of a single cut flower in a vase, or the interpretation of nature though a painter’s hands. Like urban birds, we adapt.

Yet there is definitely a desire among many people in America to stay connected to the Earth and its spiritual metaphors. Seasonal celebrations, harvest fests, Moon viewings are all well attended, much like Shinto observances are in Japan. Practices such as tai chi that put Taoist principles into action bring an important relevance to spirituality, even in the most urban of settings.

Still, many are not reached. But through books like “The Tao of Leadership,” even high-rise urban people can apply Taoist principles to business and daily activity, by working with energy rather fighting against it, by viewing opposites as an essential balance rather than opposition, and in general developing patience and persistence.
RIC DEXTER, Men’s Division Chapter Leader, Nichiren Buddhist (Soka Gakkai organization)
The central stage of our practice has always been small discussion and study meetings, where people of all walks and stages of life meet together. In addition to those, today we have opportunities for people of different cultures, languages and interests to meet and study together.

When I first came to Texas, in 1972, there were few Buddhists and the only in-depth study seemed to be in Japanese, with limited material in English. Our leaders were mostly Japanese brides of servicemen. While we couldn’t always understand the words, the actions of those pioneering members taught us the heart of Buddhism.

A growing membership brought greater English, then Spanish, then Chinese, Korean, and South East Asian language study opportunities. The Culture and Arts department expanded to include groups for artists and musicians, for health care professionals, and for legal professionals. Each person then could hear that thought from a person from their own culture or cohort, as well as from people with different cultural experiences.

It became like a family, with each person growing as an individual while helping the entire family grow. The adults mentor the youth, and each person supports the others’ spiritual growth.

All major world religions have grown from a great thought arrived at within a limited cultural reference, and faced the challenge of relating that thought to people with different world views.

The word and thought of Nichiren is relayed to us through only a few philosophical writings and the many, many letters he wrote to the people of his time. Instead of spending precious resources expounding upon doctrine, he explained how Buddhist thought related to their lives. We see by those letters that in any country, or culture, or group, the basic questions of human beings do not change. Making the teaching relevant to people through life to life communication is important; it is the heart that is important.

JOE CLIFFORD, Pastor, Head of Staff , First Presbyterian Church of Dallas
In the 1970′s, First Presbyterian Church faced a tremendous challenge brought about by a demographic shift. People and businesses were abandoning downtown to move to the growing suburbs, creating urban blight. In the midst of that shift, FPC considered whether or not we needed to move to the suburbs, given the demographic realities we faced.

After considering the question with a church consultant we were told, “There is no such thing as a bad church location, you just have to figure out what your location is good for.” In 1975, we were perfectly placed to serve the growing homeless population in our neighborhood. The Stewpot was born. Thirty-four years later, the Stewpot has evolved into a vital community ministry, serving not only the homeless, but neighborhood children and youth, bearing witness to God’s love in concrete ways in the midst of our demographic realities.

The church is called to embody the reign of God in the midst of our world. As we are in the midst of the world, existing for the sake the world, demographics must play a role in shaping how we accomplish that call. If we fail to understand the world in which we live, how can the church be effective in its ministry?

However, I do not believe demographics are destiny. According to Scripture, the destiny of creation is to be transformed into the kingdom of God. So while the church must be aware of changing demographics, we must also remember our call is to bear witness to the kingdom of God, not to conform to the world. Demographics help us understand how to best accomplish our particular calling, but they do not define our destiny.

DEAL HUDSON, President, Morley Publishing Group and Director, InsideCatholic.com
Demographics don’t shape my thinking of “who I am,” but shape my thinking of how I should communicate the message.

My job is to speak as clearly as I can on InsideCatholic.com about the Roman Catholic Church, defend its core teachings, and discuss its relation to culture and politics. If I am not reaching a broad demographic — including age, ethnic, and ideological considerations — I am not doing my job very well.

I am not interested in merely talking to those who agree 100%. The Catholic Church has lost many of its younger adherents, possible because its message was either too Fulton Sheen or too Daniel Berrigan, take your pick.

The Church is also trying to absorb the influx of Hispanic immigrants with just about every priest I know becoming, or on the way to becoming, fluent in Spanish. We don’t publish in Spanish at InsideCatholic.com but we have not joined in the immigrant bashing of other conservative groups — we believe immigration should be treated as a life issue because it has such a dramatic impact on the well-being of individual persons and their families.

Likewise, young people aren’t interested as much in the culture war polemics of my generation — they are interested in culture, technology, the arts, and their economic future. At InsideCatholic.com, we make sure those concerns are addressed on a regular basis.

Finally, it should be noted that ideological positions are becoming more fluid, new combinations are emerging that challenge the old typologies of political engagement — we are allowing those unusual combinations to emerge, such as “conservative” pro-life Catholics who eschew both political parties and embrace libertarian, agrarian, and green issue priorities.

GEOFFREY DENNIS, Rabbi, Congregation Kol Ami in Flower Mound; faculty member, University of North Texas Jewish Studies Program
The issue of demographics weighs heavily on the Jewish community of North America. As largely educated middle-class people, most American Jews, like other middle-class Americans, tend to have smaller families.

Unlike Christianity, however, we are not a proselytizing religion. While we welcome those converts who walk in our doors on their own initiative, this is just not a model for growth through recruitment. So the reality arriving from these two facts is that the Jewish population has been shrinking with the downward slope of the baby-boom bell-curve. We worry about this, of course, because worrying is a Jewish prerogative.

That being said, the people Israel is not a sociological category as much as it is a theological one. Whether many or few, we strive to live by the covenant and we live with the confidence that the people Israel, even if we should whither in place, will thrive in another, in keeping with the divine promise that we are an eternal people.

GERALD BRITT, Vice-President of public policy and community program development, Central Dallas Ministries
I think it’s incredibly important to know who your audience is in terms of pulpit ministry, ministry internal to the congregation and also outreach ministry. Demographics don’t determine the message, but they do determine the methodology.

I remember how jarring it was early in my pastorate for me and some of our leaders to realize that we had a preponderance of children who had never been to church and whose parents didn’t go. It meant that we had to learn how to translate our ‘church speak’ in order to communicate to them.

There are many churches who make the mistake of determining success of mission by how many of the people they help adopt ‘middle class values’. There are African-American churches which, in the midst of demographics that clearly show a growing Hispanic population, retrench or adopt a ‘segregated’ outreach (Hispanic services), or they move, as opposed to teaching existing members Spanish in order to facilitate effective ministry strategies.

The demographic challenge also relates to class and education: the determination to exhort hearers to get jobs and education, rather than take on the challenge of building robust employment and education ministries to create opportunities. Even with strained resources, this can be done in collaboration with other churches, public schools or colleges and universities.

Churches have to make a choice as to whether they see a changing demography as a barrier or as an opportunity.

The needs of the soul must be addressed and distinguished from the needs of the body. The need of the soul is have a loving relationship with the transcendent Lord.

This need exists despite any body and mental arrangements. This analogy can be given: that the hand, being part of the body, has a need to feed the stomach. If the hand could think for itself and decide that rather than feeding the stomach, it will try to digest the food itself, then that hand and the entire body would suffer.

Similarly if we are not connected to God by love, our endeavors for happiness will go in vain. But as soon as the hand feeds, or the soul serves, there is satisfaction and pleasure. Similarly it said that one must water the root of the plant not simply just water the leaves.

This being said, it understood that in all circumstances the same need is there, the need to connect to God in a loving relationship.

However, as times change, strategies may also change but the need and principle remain the same. For example, previously priests would not market their devotional music as paid musicians. But currently devotional chanting, kirtan, is becoming more and more popular in the music scene. In the interest of spreading the holy kirtan, many priests now market their music.

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The Texas Faith blog is a discussion among formal and informal religious leaders whose faith traditions express a belief in a transcendent power – or the possibility of one. While all readers are invited to participate in this blog, by responding in the comments section, discussion leaders are those whose religion involves belief in a divine higher power or those who may not believe in a transcendent power but leave room for the possibility of one. Within this framework, moderators William McKenzie and Wayne Slater seek to bring a diversity of thinkers onto the Texas Faith panels.